Too much pain, not enough love
by Sarah Took
Summary: A story with characters directly from the book. What's wrong with hermione and why is she acting weird? Why is Ron so distraught? read more to find out...not compulsory
1. Chapters 1 & 2

disclaimer : i forgot, i don't own anything, except a different way of thinking than everyone else  
okay, here i go, writing the story...whoa cool.

The slap stung Harry's cheek, and he winced inwardly as Hermione stormed away, vanishing out the potrait hole.  
"What the hell is wrong with her?" Harry asked himself, before rushing up to his bedroom, feeling his cheeks burning with embarassment and the residue of Hermione's hand.  
Ron greeted him at the top of the stairs. in his hands he held his torn textbooks and the Harry's shredded clothes. he had a puzzled expression on his face, an amazed flicker of amusement passed across his face when he saw Harry.   
"hermione?" He questioned, mutely harry nodded.   
"Hermione?" He asked, motioning the garments and belongings in Ron's hands. Ron nodded.  
"I don't even know what i did?" He sighed, throwing them to the ground, and muttering under his breath as he and Harry made their ways to their bedroom to try and salvage some of their things. Hermione had started acting weird this morning, after returning early from breakfast. harry and ron didn't even know she'd gone without them, until she returned before they left, and did what she had done.  
At the moment, a knock came to their door.  
"Ron, Harry?" A voice called, "Are yuo guys ever coming to breakfast?" Amazed, and confused, Ron opened the door to reveal Hermione. She had changed from her casual clothes, and was now wearing her robes. She smiled at them, and they stared back at her, Harry's cheek still stinging from her slap.  
"Hermione?" Ron questioned, Harry averted his gaze, and looked down at the floor, tears welling in his eyes. the hurt and bullying he'd suffered from primary school came back with a blast, the pretend niceness, then the sufferable taunts, and physical hurt he'd acquired. Hermione looked questioningly at Harry (and i know i've said questioningly at least three hundred times already, sorry), and turned to Ron, her eyes full of worry.  
"What's wrong, Harry?" She asked. Rn stared at her harder, his eyes widening in amazement.  
"are you stupid?" He asked, and then wished he hadn't, as her eyes filled with flames (not literally) and she glared at him.  
"What do you think's wrong with me?"Snarled harry, glaring at hermione, his eyes blazing, a single tear strolled luxuriously down his cheek and hung suspended from his chin. he wiped it away, and resumed his baleful glare at Hermione. Hermione felt targeted, she unconsciously took a step back, knocking over Ron's vase he'd been given for his birthday from his mum. it was special to him, that much she knew, so she was genuinely sorry when it broke in three pieces behind her, but she was also genuinely sorry that she fell on top of it, breaking it even further, and resulting in giving her a deep cut on her arm, which she knew she should take straight to Madam Pomfrey, but she couldn't.   
Ron gasped at her, and grabbed her by her arms, shaking her roughly, his nails digging into the cut, and giving her blisters from the rubbing of her robes against her skin.  
Ron was yelling uncomprehensively, something about breaking things, ruining belongings, trashing their special things, breaking them up, being a bully. She didn't understand.  
"Ron, Ron, stop it, i'm sorry. Ron!" She cried, and was shocked to discover that tears were falling from her eyes. she felt unsure of what was going on. She had never done any of those things he was accusing her of. Hit Harry, she'd never do that, never. She knew his fragile upbringing, his abusive childhood, his unsuredness (not sure if it is a real word, if it isn't i claim it, it's mine, i made it up.Mine, but you can borrow it) around people. She would not trash other people's belongings, and was hurt to think that her two best friends thought she had.  
"I never did all that!" She shouted, her voice croaking, and shaking, as Ron slowly released her. His sneer filled her vision.  
"I'm sorry about your vase, really i am, Ron." She turned to Harry.  
"Harry, you know i'd never. You know me, you know i'd never. I didn't. Harry, Ron." They stared at her, disbelieving.  
"it was you, Hermione." Harry whispered. "I can't not believe what my eyes saw. It was you. You hit me, just before, in the common room, in front of all the first and second years." hermione stared at him, then back at ROn, neither of them looked like relenting anytime soon.  
"This isn't a joke guys!" She screamed, before turning and fleeing back to her own room, where she promptly threw herself on her bed, and cried. it was unfair. She never did all those things. She never would. She needed someone to talk to, and, with her two best friends out of the picture and Ginny in class, there was only two people left.  
Hermione crept along the secret passageway into Hogsmeade, her hair astrew, shky on her feet, feeling targetted. Once in Hogsmeade she apparated to Diagon Alley. Running, half staggering she collapsed into the Weasleys Jokeshop, where she was greeted by Fred and George. Their joking natures replaced by seriousness as she related her story to them, and then their Geaorge's face screwed up in anger at what Ron's part in it was. they fed her chocolate and gave her blankets, and soon she was smiling hesitantly, curled up in the armchair above the shop, watching the muggle tv shows and midday movies. wagging school for the first time.

Oh, no,,,...what will happen next. who is the imposter Hermione, and what will happen next, what will happen with Ron and Harry, will they continue to hate Hermione, will Fred and George set them straight, and what has Draco got to do with it (damn, can't believe i just put that in, kind of giving away some of the storyline) I'm the only one who can answer these questions, so hurry and review, and i might just answer them, and write another interesting chapter.lol

**Chapter two**

Okay, so we left Hermione sitting comfortably in Fred and George's apartment, while Harry and Ron, what are they doing, and how are they feeling. Keep tuned for more…another chapter. Okay, here we go. And as before, disclaimer: own absolutely nothing, just my wacky brain and the computer; the computer is mine, as am I. I am my own self. So weird.

Ron and Harry sat at the Gryffindor table; their food lay mostly untouched before them. Since Hermione had stormed out on them, they had felt kind of low. Just then they glanced Hermione swooping down on them, her hair tied back in a ponytail, dressed in casuals. The most peculiar of this image, was the casual clothes. Everyone else was dressed in robes, and Ron and Harry couldn't understand why she had gotten changed so many times already today. She sat next to Ron, elbowing him as she ate. Ron took the first three with good grace, but when the fourth, sharply dug elbow found its mark in the pit of his stomach, he couldn't stop the groan that emerged from his mouth. He glanced sideways at Hermione, noticing the smirk that crossed her lips. With grimace he got up, and, with Harry following close behind, left the Great Hall. Behind them, Hermione smiled to herself, glancing up at Ginny across the table, who smiled uncertainly back, then looked back down at her food, confused.   
"Touchy, aren't they today?" Hermione commented, and Ginny snapped her head back up, staring wide-eyed across the table. Harry had told her about Hermione, and what she had done. Ginny glanced sharply at Hermione and saw the malicious flame that glinted in her eyes. There was none of the softness, or Hermione-ness that was usually there.  
"Hermione?" Ginny asked, and Hermione looked into her eyes.  
"Yeah?" She asked, the food before her being replaced with the desert dishes. Ginny shook her head, and stood up, walking quickly after Harry and Ron, and breaking into a run as she left the hall, catching up to them.  
"Hermione's different." She breathed, "I don't think it's her. What if someone is controlling her?" Harry stopped in his stride and his gaze turned thoughtful. Ron just looked confused, which Ginny realised was his usual expression. She slipped her hand into Harry's discretely, as they continued to walk along, discussing at length, the reasons why people would want to control Hermione, and who it might be. Their conclusions came to someone who wanted to get at Harry, wanted to split up the "dream team", someone like Draco, someone connected to Voldemort. Their discussion found them at the Fat Lady, entering the common room they came to a halt to see George standing before them. They knew it was George, because he was wearing Fred's Christmas jumper; he looked mad. Within a second, Ron found himself pinned against the wall, George's arm across his throat, and Harry and Ginny berating George. Ginny actually thumping him on the back, Ron scrabbled at the arm choking him.  
"George." Ginny yelled, "George, stop it. George!"  
"How could you?" George snarled into Ron's face. Ron gaped for breath. George released him from the wall, and he slumped to the ground, gasping for air, clawing at his throat. Harry and Ginny stood staring at George, dumbfounded. Ron was gasping for air, glaring up at George, eyes watering.  
"What the bloody hell was that for?" Ron spluttered. George forced back the impulse to punch him, regarding him with content instead.  
"There is one certain girl sitting in my apartment, hurt, and confused by two people's actions. Harry, you are not my family, but if you do not explain what the bloody hell was going through your mind earlier today, I will have no control over my actions, and may proceed to hit you. Hard."  
"George, what are you talking about? Hermione's here, she's in the Great Hall." Ginny burst out, bristling at the turmoil between her brothers.  
A look of confusion and hesitation crossed George's face.  
"No. She's in Diagon Alley. Fully robed, dried blood from a cut on her arm, and bruises on her arms, where someone grabbed her rather hard, wrapped in a blanket and watching muggle shows on TV." Now it was Harry, Ron and Ginny's turn to look confused. Then, realisation crossed Ginny's face.  
"There are two of them." She gasped, and Harry, Ron, and George's mouths dropped open (like in the cartoon Aladdin, when Genie's jaw hits the floor, though not quite as extreme).  
"No." Ron said,  
"Yes," Harry said, "polyjuice potion, or some kind of transfiguration." Ginny lightly punched George on the arm.  
"Yes, it wasn't her at the Gryffindor table, her eyes were all wrong." Their laughter ended abruptly though when the casual clothes Hermione entered the common room, fixing her gaze on them.  
"Hi Fred." She said, breezily. George, Ron, Harry and Ginny stared open-mouthed.  
"Hermione." George said, but Ron had already grabbed her, and was holding her against the wall.  
"Who are you?" He asked, voice simmering with anger. Without further ado, Harry and George had released her from Ron's grip and carted her up to their dormitory, where they shut the door behind them, locking Hermione in.  
"We should have a guard." Ginny suggested, "I volunteer." She said, and sat down by the door. Harry glanced at Ron and George, and then at Ginny.  
"I'll stay too," He said, "I'll get some cushions." Looking relieved, Ron followed George back down the stairs, out the common room and though the passage into Hogsmeade. Ron, still uneasy about apparating, had to hitch a ride with George. They made their way to the Jokeshop.  
"I'm sorry about before." George said. Ron waved it off. "It's okay, you just have to give me free stuff." He smiled at the expression on George's face, as they ascended the stairs to Hermione who had fallen asleep, drooling slightly, but otherwise, perfect, at least in Ron's eyes. Before her, the TV dimly blared. She was unaware that the day had resulted in four more people wagging for the day.

Okay, that is the end of chapter duo. Two that is. Hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, I hope you review it. Umm, more coming up soon, such as the identification of the intruder Hermione and the reasons behind it, and more importantly, the improvements in relationships, apologies, and whatnot.  
Ciao


	2. Chapters 3 & 4

Okay, the third instalment of this story (making it tri-chaptered), may be a little bit out of context, but I believe it is relevant, and it's my story, so what I say goes, and it had to come in sometime, so here it comes.

Hermione is remembering i.e. the past…etc…  
At a ball – start of year ball, which I made up, only for the 6th and 7th years, haven't really decided what year they are in.

Hermione had been floating past him all night, just beyond his reach, teasing him, taunting him, her normally bushy hair, sleek and shiny, tied up in a loose bun. (That means it is at the back of her head, in a circle thing, like a ballet dancer). Loose strands of hair framed her face, highlighting her features. She was doing it deliberately; it was her form of revenge. Tired of being called names, and tired of his arrogant nature, especially against her, the teasing and the taunting, Hermione was exacting her revenge, the best way she could, and the least conspicuous. Draco's eyes followed her around the hall, followed her as she danced with Ron and Harry, as she ate the food, chatting with Ginny, danced with Neville. He couldn't ask her to dance, people would know, it would disgrace him.  
Hermione was having fun, people were asking her to dance, Ron was staring at her all the time, mouth agape, even when he danced with her and she felt the light touch of his hands on her hips through the light fabric of the dress. And Draco was watching her; her plan was working.  
The night wore on, half way through a dance, Hermione made her way to the doors; she was hot. She left the Great Hall, where the social was going on, and headed for the doors that led outside. Pushing one open, she slipped out, feeling a glimpse of the cold air against her hot skin, and then the grain of the wall against her arms, as someone (not tall, dark and handsome, well maybe ;)) grabbed her and pushed her there, pinning her arms to the wall with his, and leaning against her. Startled she looked up to see Draco, his eyes looked tortured as he leaned down, and kissed her, letting go of her arms, and pulling away a bit, slipping his arms around her back, and into her hair, messing up the perfect bun. Inside, Hermione was spewing, but on the outside, she was cool, calm and collected, kissing him back, and slipping her arms around his neck (I swear their arms are slipping all over the place. I've used that word so often. Sorry), pushing herself against him.  
Draco was the first to pull away. He slowly released Hermione, who turned from him, and started to make her way back inside.  
"Hermione?" Draco asked, confusion evident in his voice, and Hermione felt a small pang of shame, at what she had done to him, but it was quickly replaced with all the hate she had had for him since their first year. She turned to him.  
"What?" She questioned. Tortured eyes stared back at her.  
"What was that about?" He whispered, lowering his eyes to the ground. She walked back up to him, slipping her arms once more around his neck, but when he looked at her this time, he saw nothing but hatred in her eyes. He stared at her eyes, giving her the satisfaction that her revenge had succeeded in rattling him, hurting him.  
"You're nothing, Malfoy. Nobody could ever love you." She hissed, before slapping him smartly, and striding away.  
"You'll regret it, Granger." Draco cried, and even he could hear the croak in his voice. "You'll have no friends in the world, and when that day comes, you'll realise that you are nothing more than a filthy mudblood." She didn't turn, and he cursed under his breath, watching her flaunt inside, victorious, before sinking to his knees in the dewy grass, and, holding his head in his hands (covering face with hands), cried.

Okay, so what did you think? I promise the next chapter will be longer. Promise, cross my heart hope to die, stick a needle in my eye (please don't). And it'll have Ron and Hermione and Harry and Ginny, and Fred, George, Draco and, I think that is all.  
Enjoy reading, please feel free to leave a review, at no extra charge, and for your troubles, receive an answer, as so far, I have responded to all my reviews. How dedicated I am). Okay, and I'm sorry for all the interruptions, its late here, and I'm tired, and bored, and hee hee, I have school tomorrow and don't want to go, who really ever does? Okay, next chapter coming soon.

**Chapter Four**

Well, just to fill you in, and to say I'm so sorry for the long wait, we left Ron and George entering the lounge room and Hermione is sleeping on the couch, and Ron thinks she is perfect. And Harry and Ginny are back at school, sitting together outside the dormitory where Hermione intruder/casuals, is locked, and Fred? Where is Fred? He's in the shop, and Draco? Well, you'll just have to read and find out, my story is now a quadruplet, or something like that. So sorry for the wait………………..

In her sleep, Hermione felt the cool breeze against her skin and she opened her eyes, seeing dazzling green ones very close to hers, they seemed to gaze at her in shock for a few seconds, as obviously he hadn't expected her to wake up so suddenly. His shocked stillness allowed her to gaze past the eyes, and down to the nose, covered in freckles and onto the mouth, which was pursed as he'd been blowing cool air onto her, and had been for the last ten minutes to the amusement of George and Fred, who had come up from the shop when George had rushed off to get him to show him "how stupid Ron was being", as Ron had been trying to wake Hermione up without touching her. Ron snapped out of his shock, and stood up from where he'd been kneeling beside Hermione, and she felt cold again, colder than before, and then confused. Ron was here, hadn't he been mean to her before, she subconsciously felt the bruise that had formed on her arm, and didn't notice Ron's hurt and guilty look, as he'd seen her do it.  
"See," he declared, turning to face his hysterical brothers, "it does work." Fred held onto his sides, afraid that they might split, and George's actually did, as he'd eaten Fred's sidesplitting lollies Fred had been testing on unsuspecting people. (He'd been surprised when George had agreed so heartily). George was now trying to gather his sides back together, and Fred stopped laughing long enough to note something down in a notebook, and wave his wand at George to sew him up, before he was rolling around laughing again. George stood there, stock-still; still unsure as to what had happened, and whether or not he was dreaming or not as it was the first time Fred had played a joke on him.  
Hermione pulled her blanket further over her body and covered her head with it, snuggling back down into the warmth of the safe and secure couch. Beside her, Ron sat down, pulling the blankets back off her head. He held them in his hands as she struggled to pull them back over her head. It was fun playing tug-o-war with the blanket, but finally, Ron had had enough and, destroying Hermione's fun, sat on his end, preventing her from getting it.  
"Hermione…" He said, as Fred howled in the background and then cursed as George hexed him.  
"Yes Ron." Hermione asked. Her voice was soft and her expression softer, but Ron knew he was treading on dangerous ground.  
"I'm sorry for what I did before, with shaking you and yelling at you, and Harry is too, but we seriously thought you were this other you, who we found out isn't you, but someone disguised, so we've locked them in our dormitory, as there is nothing else in there for them to ruin and I'm just terribly sorry. Please, don't hurt me." He pretended to cower behind his hands, even though he was really scared, he didn't want Hermione or his brothers to know. He began to breath again when Hermione didn't yell at him. He lowered his hands, and found Hermione. She was sitting there with a horrible expression on her face. It was one mixed with loathing and absolute disgust; Ron hoped it wasn't for him. It wasn't.  
"That foul, disgusting boy." Hermione screeched and flung herself up from the couch, but promptly fell back down, tangled in the blanket. She went to rise again, but an incredible weakness came over her and she sank back onto the couch and pulled the blanket around her once more, shivering.  
"I feel sick." She moaned, and Ron stepped forward, and then back again rapidly, as Hermione vomited the contents of her stomach onto the floor. Fred looked at George guiltily. George was amazed once again.  
"No." He said. "You didn't." Fred's eyes filled with guilt-laden tears.  
"Yes, I did." He whispered, and George let out one hoarse laugh, before moaning about brothers and rushing off to grab a bucket and a towel. Hermione started to cry, the vomit still evident in her mouth. Ron cautiously edged forwards, wary of flying vomit, and sat on the couch beside her, where he cleared the hair from her face and tucked it behind her ears for her. He rubbed her back (and behaved un-Ron-like and like everyone wants their guy to act when they are sick – caring and gentlemanly).  
There was nothing more to be done for Hermione, she'd been fed a vomiting vanilla viscous lolly, and the vomiting wouldn't stop till later, and the sickness wouldn't ebb till nighttime. It was Fred's new one, which was why it was such a new time length. This one was designed for all day sick days, when you wanted a day off, and the twist was that you actually felt sick. Ron wanted to stay with her, but George assured him that no harm would befall her, and Fred took him back to school, as it would be interesting to see who the intruder Hermione was.

Harry and Ginny had sat at the dormitory for quite a while. Since Ron and George had left, the sounds of ripping and ranting and raving had been heard through the door, and after an hour was up, the room fell silent. Relieved Harry had run down to the corridor and retrieved an old game in the corner called Monopoly. Ginny and he were bored. After snogging (a horrible English word for kissing – sorry, no offence, but seriously, snogging? Kissing sounds better) for a bit, there had been nothing else to do, so they decided today was a good a day as any to learn how to play the muggle game of monopoly. Harry was the hat, and Ginny claimed the dog, she actually thought it would move by itself and bark and be hers forever, but that was really, only something a magical being might think. So they read the rules, or Harry read the rules, while Ginny tapped on her dog with her wand and succeeded in turning it pink and making it jump off the board and electrocute Harry. As they started, they listened to the intruder in the dormitory, but couldn't hear anything. Ginny kept landing on free-parking, and would leap in the air in joy whenever she did, yipping for her dog, and pointing her finger at Harry, who took it good-naturedly, after all, he had bought all the places, as, being banker, he had assumed all the money was his, so had bought all the houses in the box. Ginny, however, was not losing. Her money supply never seemed to dwindle, possibly due to her stealing it from Harry, which was fair enough, seeing as he hadn't even given her her money at the start of the game. It was a good game, but it never seemed to end, and neither Harry, nor Ginny knew how to end it, so soon they were very bored, and rolling the dice, and moving almost mechanically. It was a relief when Ron returned, with Fred. Fred laughed when he saw them, and kicked over the board. Ginny started to protest, so he replaced it just as it had been, which quickly shut her up, and received her a glare from Harry, who hurriedly put the confusing and eluding game down. He secretly wondered how muggles could be so interested in such a simple and easy game. Ron told them Hermione was ill, which made Harry feel low, but he was soon assured it was not his fault, but Fred's. Fred grimaced. Together, they threw open the dormitory door, but no one charged at them, or hexed them, or did anything. Looking around the dorm, Ginny was the first to spot the intruder. He lay across Ron's bed, his face hid in the blankets, which were messed up and half-ripped. He was asleep. Tiptoeing over, they peered at him, and then jumped back in shock. It was Malfoy. His silver hair was flung haphazardly and lay shocked across Ron's pillow, and was half-covered by the blankets, which Malfoy held clung in his hands, as though afraid of the dark, or some unforeseen foe. As they watched, he writhed in the bed, and they noticed that he was wearing Harry's robes; Hermione's clothes were strewn about the room. The irony of it almost made Harry laugh, though his hands were clenched in fists of range, as he thought of why Malfoy had disguised himself as Hermione and why he had gone to all this trouble for what he called a "mudblood".  
"He's drooling on my bed." Ron stated, and leapt forward, but was knocked back by Fred, and lay gasping on the floor.  
"Take it easy, Fred." Ron gasped. Fred lunged forwards and grabbed hold of Draco, shaking him by the shoulders. Shocked, and looking scared, Draco came awake with a start, and screamed: "I didn't touch it, I swear." He screamed, but stopped when he saw who were talking. And then…..

I just had to leave a cliffhanger, sorry peoples.  
By the way, are all these authors' notes really annoying, because I can cut down on them, or stop them entirely. Its up to you…please review.  
It was longer!


	3. Chapters 5 & 6

Okay, so sorry for the long wait for the update, but I've been busy, not. Sorry. I guess I kind of forgot about it for awhile. And I'll understand if no one reviews, I mean I did after all leave a cliffhanger. We left fred, Ron, Harry and Ginny just woken up Draco, who screamed and then stopped when he saw who he was talking too…and then…

And then he began to struggle, which Fred quickly disengaged, by lifting him off the bed and into the air, dangling him by his collar, or Harry's collar, as he was wearing Harry's robes after all.  
"What kind of sick game are you playing at?" Ginny asked disgustedly. Harry was holding her back as she was trying to run forward and beat the living bleep out of Malfoy. He looked down at her, as tears of frustration and loss of control welled in his eyes, and he remembered a time in his childhood when he'd felt the same, but we won't go into that.  
Ron walked over to the door and shut it, while Fred lowered Draco into a chair and proceeded to bind him there with ropes which shot out of his wand. He bent down and tugged on Draco's skin, "just to make sure it was really him".   
Harry loosened his grip on Ginny and before he could stop her she had darted forward and tipped the contents of a small bottle into Draco's mouth, which he's stupidly left hanging slightly open. He choked a bit, and coughed. Fred looked questioningly at Ginny.  
"What was that?" He asked.  
"that veristerum thingy, truth serum." She answered and wasn't expecting the praising look Fred gave her. Harry looked at her horrified, as did Ron, though not as horrifyingly as Harry was.  
"Where'd you get that from?" He screeched.  
"professor Snape. I stole it. It was after all just hanging out of his robe pocket, and he was going to use it soon. Most likely on you, Harry." Ron laughed a tad bit and they turned to face Malfoy who was gagging and spitting onto the floor. Fred leaned towards him.  
"It won't help, you know. It goes straight into your bloodstream I believe." Draco looked up, his eyes a picture of worry and horror( yes, horror, more horror repetition).  
"So, what were you doing?"  
"Impersonating Hermione."  
"Well, duh. But why, what was the point of the project?"  
"To break up all her friendships, and destroy her self-esteem."  
"Why, so you could become the know-it-all?" Ginny asked, contempt blaring out of her eyes. (Not literally of course, metaphorically)  
Draco struggled with himself. His face reddened.  
"No," He gasped. "Because she hurt me, and I wanted to hurt her back."  
"What!" Harry was enraged. "You've hurt her ever since you got here, don't you think she might just have been getting you back for all those filthy names and insults you call her."  
"She was getting me back, I realised that one already, Potter." Draco seemed to be struggling with himself.  
"Why then? Why hurt her again, of you didn't like it. Is it just because you hate her so much?" Ron asked, puzzled.  
"But I don't HATE her." Draco cried. And he managed to loose one hand and clamp it over his mouth. Fred jumped forward and pulled the hand away, tying it back in place.  
"You don't hate her, huh? How do you feel towards Hermione?" Fred knew what was coming, he could see it in the tortured eyes, and he was beginning to feel slightly guilty, and pity for the pathetic boy tied to the chair in front of him. So he wished Ginny hadn't asked the question she had. Draco's face contorted in pain as he tried to hold back the answer. Tears streamed down his face, which was slowly turning red as he was holding his breath. Fred began to release the ties, when Draco spoke.  
"I love her." He said simply and his face returned to normal. Everyone was speechless, except for Fred, who grimaced at how far the situation had gone.  
"How could you think she'd ever love you back, especially if you were hurting her?" Harry questioned, and Fred opened his mouth to stop the questions.  
"She kissed me." Draco stated, and ran out of the room, holding his mouth. Everyone was once again speechless, though Ron burst into tears and clung onto the side of the bed as he slipped down it and leant his face on it. Everyone else stood around.

Draco  
he sprinted out of the Gryffindor common room, still wearing Harry's robes, their Gryffindor colours flashed in his face as he ran down the corridor. One hand clamped over his face. Hermione, he was thinking. Hermione, and tears were still streaming down his cheeks, and his heart was burning and he was ashamed of his actions. He struggled to breath, though it felt as though his stomach was being eaten by acid bugs or something (a side effect of the serum). Professor Snape exited the room before him, and was nearly bowled over. He straightened up and surveyed Draco standing shamefaced before him.  
"Dry your eyes, boy. Do you know just how disgusting you are?" He wasn't prepared for Draco's immediate reaction.  
"Yes sir, I know. I'm a filthy, disgusting, horrible thing, worse even then a putrid mudblood." And he was running again, searching for some place to wait until the serum wore off. His thoughts on Hermione and safety and his heart was breaking. He finally found a room, one which literally sprang from nowhere and he realised as being where the DA had had their meetings. Inside, however, was different. It resembled a bedroom, though seemed more cosy than Draco's had ever been. Silken sheets, and a doona and pillows, with a great big polar bear toy that Draco literally through himself on and cried into, curling into a tight ball and screaming at nothing and everything, tearing at his face and scratching at his arms, itching and screaming as the acid bug feeling got worse and his heart broke(not literally). And Draco remained in the room, trying to gather himself together, but seeming to fail miserably and just to lie crying on the bed, his knees drawn to his chin and pretty soon he was sleeping as peacefully as a kettle does when its boiling. (in other words he tossed and turned a whole lot).

Next chapter should be up soon, as its exam time, and I'm getting sick of studying and like Draco just want to curl up and cry myself to sleep. Okay, enough with the sob stories. Next chapter includes Ron and Hermione and Harry and Ginny and Fred and George, etc, etc, etc…

**Chapter Six**

Okay, seeing as exams are over and everything, thought I ought to continue with my story, seeing as there really no more excuses I can use.

A/N: just a refresh, we left Draco sleeping fitfully and the other four, Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Fred in the dormitory. We'll start there…from where we left. Thanks for all the reviews coughMaireadcough

Fred glanced at Harry and Ginny, and then they all looked again at Ron's shaking body, shaking with his tears. Harry and Ginny started to edge out.  
"I'll talk to him." Fred mouthed, and as they left he went to Ron and hoisted him up.  
"Ron? Ron, you know, you're acting really out of character. You gonna be okay?" (well he is ooc.) Ron looked at the floor, and wiped at his eyes.  
"I don't know." He said. Fred didn't know whether to laugh or not. He was confused, the last time Ron had cried, was the following nights after George and he had turned his teddy into a spider. He'd cried in his sleep, and that was also the last time Fred had heard Ron screamed. He then obviously had no idea what to do, because what can you do when someone you know, or think you know really well, changes and confuses you and makes you keep on guessing and unsure of even yourself. Fred acted on impulse, and hugged Ron, patting him rather awkwardly on the back.  
"What are you doing?" Ron asked, his tears stopping rather quickly.  
"I'm hugging you, I think." Fred said, releasing his brother and looking at him quizzically.  
"You've never hugged me before." Ron stated, seeming amazed and also in a same state of confusion as Fred was.  
"Well, don't read too much into it. It's a one off thing. Let's go get Hermione." Fred rushed out, stepping towards the door and pulling it open, revealing Harry and Ginny, who had jumped from the door, where they'd had their ears pressed against it, listening. Ginny gaped at Fred, and Harry gaped at Fred. Then Ginny leaped on him, hugging him fiercely. Fred jumped a bit startled, and tried to pry Ginny off him.  
"You so are a softie." Ginny exclaimed.  
"I'll hex you." Fred warned, and Ginny finally let go. Ron let out a chuckle, as Harry was reprimanding.  
"You guys don't ever hug?" He asked amazedly.  
'Of course we do, our mum hugs us, I hug Ginny, well, almost everyone hugs Ginny, no one really trusts the twins not to prank them, that I guess we're kind of afraid to hug them." Ron explained.  
"Oh" Harry said, and nodded his head understandably, though he hadn't really been listening, he'd been watching Ginny.  
"We'll clean the dorm." He said, as Fred and Ron headed off to get Hermione back to school before one of the teachers realised that she wasn't even at the school.  
On the trip back to Hogsmeade, Ron was bombarded with questions and interrogation by Fred, really silly questions really.  
"So Ron, why exactly were you crying?" was one of Fred's more intelligible questions and actually also one of his last.  
Ron couldn't see anyway he could back out of this question,(as he is after all rather thick sometimes).  
"I just…you know, I couldn't stand to think of Hermione kissing that disgusting foul boy."  
"Why did it bother you more than Harry or Ginny then?"  
"Well. I guess because, I think, it's because, I'm not sure, but I think I love her."  
"Everyone loves Hermione." Fred said, confused, though his eyes twinkled, finally he was going to get a confession out of Ron.  
"No. Fred, it's different. I'm in love with her. As in I like her so much, I'd die for her. As in, I love her, as in, my heart bleeds for her, and it hurts me when she hurts and stuff. Do you get it?"  
Fred let out a chuckle, "I know Ron, I know you like her. It's not as if it hasn't been obvious for the last few hundred years." And he laughed again, leaving Ron more confused than before, and feeling slightly as if he'd been played.  
They apparated to the Weasley wizard wheezes, and headed upstairs where they found Hermione where they'd left her, though she was asleep now, coughing every now and then and dry retching in her sleep. George was sitting on the other couch, watching Comedy Inc on the TV and laughing as loudly as was usual. Ron plonked himself down next to Hermione, carefully replacing the towels back on him, just in case she had anymore vomit in her.  
He gently shook her by the shoulders, as Fred sat next to George and laughed.  
"Hermione?" Ron asked.  
"Ron?" She mumbled, and turned towards him, sighing and then seeming to fall straight back into her deep slumber. Ron turned to look at Fred and George, who looked back at him amused.   
"Looks like you'll have to carry her." George said, "She wore herself out vomiting everywhere." And he shot Fred a dirty look, at which Fred retorted that he really was sorry, and how many more times did he have to say it. Ron looked at them imploringly, but they only shrugged and turned back to the TV. Ron sighed exasperatedly, and lifted Hermione into his arms, leaving the towels around her and her blanket on, etc. She woke up enough to blink owlishly at him and loop her arms around his neck, resting her head against his chest. Ron straightened up, and looked to his brothers.   
"Please, can one of you apparate me to the passageway?" Fred looked at George, who looked at Fred, and gave him an imploring look to say that it was pretty much his fault. Fred sighed.  
"I'll do it," He said, and came over to Ron, grabbed his arm and apparated him to the passageway.  
"Thanks." Ron said, and Fred flashed him a sly grin before apparating back, with his words of wisdom "good luck mate."  
Ron grimaced slightly and held tightly onto Hermione's body, which was actually more frail than he'd imagined the strong and outspoken girl's body to be, as he descended the stairs into the passageway and walked along it, stumbling in the dark, as his wand was in his pocket, and he had no way of getting it without waking Hermione.

again, sorry for the long wait. more will be coming once i sit down and write more, this afternoon, or tonight or something, expect an update in just a few days. sorry again for the wait.


	4. Chapter 7

Okay, so as I promised, another chapter in quick succession, by the way, I'm writing this while watching Who wants to be a millionaire, well, actually the Mummy wants to be a millionaire thing. Anyway, just thought you might like to know, and the season final of Grey's Anatomy was awesome, and I'm going to watch it all again when it repeats the season again next week. lol. Okay, and that's all, hope you enjoy the new chapter, and we have left Ron and Hermione in the passageway, and Harry and Ginny cleaning the room. It is just coming nighttime, as it takes a long time to walk the corridors, so actually it is getting rather late.

It was getting rather late as Ron reached the passageway door, and after listening for awhile, opened it cautiously and carefully climbed out, Hermione still asleep, having finally stopped retching and coughing as the lollies effects had worn off. As he closed the door behind him, he heard movement, and saw Filch coming round the corner. He had no time to react, as Filch's keen eyes found him and rooted him to the spot.  
"Students, out of bed. Out of bounds." He sneered, and Ron's usually slow mind jumped to an excuse, born out of the vomitty smell that was issuing from both him and Hermione.  
"I'm taking Hermione to Madam Pomfrey, she's sick." He said, and added "sir," hastily. Filch peered at Hermione. He scowled as he realised that Ron had managed to weasel (pun fully intended) his way out of trouble.   
Ron grinned as he hurried away, proud of himself. Though he now realised that he would have to see Madam Pomfrey, and also leave a Hermione who was no longer sick. Thankfully she was asleep, and would seem weak and pathetic, having spewed everything up.  
Madam Pomfrey was annoyed at having been disrupted in her routine closing up and cleaning that she routinely did, but soon quietened down when she saw her patient and had soon bustled a sleepy Hermione into pyjamas and into a bed. She then turned to Ron and shooed him out, ordering him straight to his dormitory.  
Ron glanced once more at Hermione, before scooting back to the Gryffindor common room. Harry and Ginny were now playing exploding snap in the common room by themselves, after they had agreed not to bring out the dreaded monopoly game. Both looked up as Ron entered, and looked behind him.  
"She's in the sickbay (is that what they actually call it?)" Ron said to their questioning looks, and explained to them about Filch finding him in the corridor. They nodded understandably and then all three jumped as the cards exploded, and managed to singe Harry's eyebrow. Harry did not find it that funny, but Ron chuckled, and Ginny laughed so hard that snot nearly shot out of her nose. Ron and Harry later deducted that she'd been in a rather crazy mood lately, and questioned her sanity when she burst in on them the next morning, jumping on their beds and loudly claiming that she wasn't sure if they were up yet.  
"well, we bloody are now." Ron grumbled, as Harry fumbled for his glasses, and Ginny bounced off the walls. The other occupants of the room, groaned, and complained, so that Ginny sighed, and muffliatoed their areas, so they at least, could retreat back into sleep.  
"What are you on?" Ron asked, turning over in his bed and pulling the covers over his head, which Ginny soon yanked off his bed.  
"Nothing, seriously. Though, I have eaten a few of Fred and George's euphoria lollies lately. I feel happy, Ronald, is that so wrong?"  
Only when it's 4:30 in the morning." Ron moaned, exasperatedly. Harry was sitting up in bed, now, his Potions homework on his lap, and his brow furrowed as he wrote.  
"Harry? You feeling okay?" Ron asked, and Harry looked up.  
"Well, yes, I guess so, I mean, I realise that there is no way I'm going to be able to go to sleep again, so I thought I'd start the homework, seeing as we've got it after lunch today, and I don't want to waste my lunchtime." Ron gaped.   
"Oh my god. I forgot. So much has happened, I forgot we have school today." He groaned, and curled up, putting his head under his pillow. Ginny sat on the edge of his bed.  
"You know, you could have one of the lollies if you like. Wait, no, actually you can't. I've eaten them all." She proclaimed, and flounced back up again, and proceeded to peer over Harry's shoulder and point out his spelling mistakes.  
Ron struggled to go back to sleep, but as the clock neared 5:15am, he threw off his pillow, and finally gave up, stumbling out of bed and into the bathroom. Harry folded away his completed essay, and started to practice his charms homework, while Ginny, who had become bored with watching Harry work, and Ron struggling to sleep, had been building card towers for the last half an hour, and had revealed the dog from the monopoly game and was making it leap through the cards.  
Soon enough Ron exited the bathroom, and after hastily grabbing his clothes had retreated once again to the bathroom to get dressed. Ginny then proceeded to crawl onto his bed, pulling his covers off the floor, and as her euphoria lolly wore off, she fell asleep. When Ron exited the second time, he looked exasperatedly down on her and plonked himself down on Harry's bed. Harry glanced across at Ginny.  
"Whatever possessed her to get up so early?" Ron asked, frustration clearly written on his face, as he witnessed how easily Ginny had been able to go back to sleep. Harry shrugged, yawned and got out of bed, heading for the bathroom.  
Ron glanced at the watch, and realised that he'd have to wake Ginny soon, so she could get changed into her robes and ready for breakfast. He grimaced, waking Ginny was like waking a dragon. Dangerous.  
When Harry finally left the bathroom, fully clothed, Ron and Ginny were playing exploding snap, although Ginny looked as though she would have liked the cards to explode in Ron's face. Harry sat on his bed and pulled on his socks and shoes.  
He un muffilated the room, just as the cards finally exploded, singing Ron's robe sleeve, and causing his fellow roommates to leap awake, glance at the clock and dash for the bathroom, almost colliding at the door.  
Ron, Ginny and Harry exited the room, and made their way out of the common room and towards the sickbay, hoping to detour and see Hermione before breakfast.  
When they entered they found Hermione sitting on her bed, fully clothed in fresh robes, and arguing with Madam Pomfrey, who was adamantly demanding that she remain in bed for another day for "observation".  
"seriously, Madam Pomfrey, I am absolutely fine, it was only a one day thing."   
She tried to get off the bed, but Madam Pomfrey pushed her back down.  
"You will stay here until I believe you are fit to go, and with your pale complexion, I don't believe it will be anytime soon."  
"I'll be absolutely fine, I'm only pale, because I haven't had anything to eat for 12 hours. Oh, hello Ron. Harry. Ginny." She beamed at the three and then scowled again at Madam Pomfrey, who scowled back just as fiercely and stubbornly.  
"We'll take care of her, Madam Pomfrey, and if she even looks faint, we promise to bring her straight back." Ginny said, flashing Madam Pomfrey a winning smile. Madam Pomfrey hmphed, but knew there was nothing much she could do to make the girl stay. She threw her hands in the air and marched into her office.  
Hermione grinned her thanks at Ginny and jumped off her bed.  
"Ugh, those twins are so dead." She hissed, and then grinned again, and led the way into the Great Hall.  
"So," she said as they sat down to eat, "was it Malfoy?" She asked, and didn't notice the pained expression that flicked across Ron's face. Ginny nodded.  
"We got him," she said, and then frowned remembering what he had confessed, and turned to study Hermione's face.  
"He said you kissed him." Harry accused, and all three turned to Hermione, who put her head down and began eating in earnest.  
"You did kiss him, didn't you." Ginny stated, rather than asked, and a tear fell from Hermione's face, but no one noticed. Shame ate away at her stomach.  
"Well," She started, and gulped at the confused and betrayed looks on the faces around her.  
"It wasn't like that," she started again, "it was more a revenge thing, get him to want me, then refuse him, get him at his most vulnerable." She took another mouthful of her cereal, and tried to swallow it, but found it difficult to get by the lump that was forming in her throat. Beside her Ron was choking on his breakfast as well, or that may just have been him choking back the tears. Ginny and Harry were looking at her disapprovingly, though Ginny looked like the one who would first see it from Hermione's point of view, or at least understand why she did it.  
Hermione discreetly spat her cereal back out and looked back up, searching her friend's eyes for forgiveness, but finding only confusion and hurt. She put her hand on Ron's shoulder, but he flinched away from her, much to her dismay, and swallowing his food, jumped up and proceeded to leave the hall, Hermione hurrying after him, passing Draco on his way in. He paused to look at her, but she didn't pay him any attention, seeming not even to notice him. She followed Ron, beseeching him, and half-running to keep up with his long stride, struggling to explain why she had done it. Tears tracked silently down Ron's face, much to Hermione's dismay (once again, dismay. Well, she is dismayed). Hermione finally got fed up with following him all over the castle, and managed to grab his arm and pull him to a stop, forcing him to face her. He lowered his face, and would not look at her, just stood there and slumped, ashamed of his tears and the raw emotions that clawed at his chest.  
"Ron, it's not like that. Really, it's not Ron. It was sincerely just for revenge, you of all people know how much he taunts me, and well, I was just taunting him back. It was at the ball, I taunted him and told him that he was worthless, and could never have anyone, least of all me. And Ron, he cried, okay. I got him, but it didn't mean anything." She drew in a shaky breath, as Ron continued to stare at the floor. She reached forwards and pulled his chin up. He blinked at her, and she gasped at the lost look in his eyes.  
"Oh, Ron, I'm so sorry, I really am. I feel horrible, and felt so stupid, and disgusted with myself, sincerely Ron. I really do regret it. Oh, oh, oh." And she also burst into tears. Ron choked on his tears, and opened his mouth, closed it and opened it again.  
"Hermione…" He choked. "Please, don't." He forgot why he was angry, well almost, and reached forwards and wiped a thumb across her cheek, wiping away her tears. She smiled hesitantly up at him. And he finally acted, not thinking, he just let instincts take control, and even as both of them cried, he leaned forwards and kissed her (see, kissed not snogged, sounds so much nicer.), and she stood there, putting her arms around his neck, and leaning into him. They pulled away, their noses almost touching and just looked at each other curiously, their eyes puzzled, looking into one another's.  
"Well," Hermione said, but words seemed to have escaped her, and she just continued looking at him, her hazel eyes and his green ones. She let her eyes take in his whole face, his freckles scattered across his nose, his mouth, his hair falling in his eyes, still sparkling from the tears, and the tracks still wet down his cheeks. As were hers. And then she laughed, as Ron continued to look confused and lost. This only heightened to his puzzlement, and she smiled at him, stopping her laughter, and leant forward on tiptoes, and kissed his cheek.  
"You're so funny." She giggled (hate giggling girls, but this time it works, I believe).  
Ron smiled hesitantly, and she laughed again. Ron's utter confusion was slowly ebbing as Hermione let him go, and reached down to hold his hand.  
"I love you, Hermione." Ron stated, quite unnecessarily, but he felt as though he had to tell her, and she grinned at him.  
"So you keep on saying." She teased, and together they laughed, the awkwardness gone.

Okay, so as promised, I have produced another chapter, though I think that I am moving too fast in some parts, and not explaining enough and having them act totally out of character. Tell me what you think, if you want that is, no pressure. But much appreciated. N.B. I checked and it is called the hospital wing, not the sickbay, thought it sounded wrong. Sorry for that. J


End file.
